Mouchette

Mouchette, a teenage girl, lives some place in the French countryside. Her life is looking bleak: her bedridden mother is in a bad way, while her blunt, alcoholic father neglects her. She has to do all the housework and is no longer welcome at school. Walking home one day, Mouchette gets lost in the woods and meets poacher Arsène. Just before that he was involved in a brawl with possibly a fatal outcome. Running into Mouchette is perfect, as she can now provide him with an alibi. She agrees to do so. From then on, it's all downhill.

Bresson preferred working with non-professional actors, believing that they would make the viewing experience more realistic. He also cast an inexperienced actress for the role of Mouchette: then 19-year-old Nadine Nortier. Despite her inexperience, her performance was well received by the press. Still this first role was also her last.